Following his team’s exit from the 2026 World Cup, Canada manager Jesse Marsch has caused a bit of a stir with his comments. The co-hosts fell to a 3-0 loss against Morocco, ending their tournament at the Last 16 stage.

Having never won a World Cup game before the competition began this summer, Canada made it further than ever before, as they finished second in their group, beat South Africa in the Round of 32, but could not progress any further. They actually started the game well, but were left to regret some key chances they missed in the first half.

Morocco capitalised on this to put on a clinical second-half display, scoring three times, with Azzedine Ounahi netting twice, while Soufiane Rahimi added the cherry on top in the 98th minute. Marsch’s immediate post-game claims have since drawn plenty of reaction.

Jesse Marsch: ‘I’d Rather Be Us Than Them’

Canada can be proud of their efforts, and coach Marsch certainly wanted to make that clear after the full-time whistle. He even went as far as to say that his team were better than Morocco on the day, insisting that he’d ‘rather be us than them’.

Speaking to the press, he said: “We were the better team. We were the better team, right?” They made a couple more plays than us, but cranking up the intensity was not the issue. It was just they have a little bit of quality in the final third, and we lacked a little ability to make a play when we needed to.”

Marsch added:

Matthew Childs via Reuters

Fox Sports Pundit Alexi Lalas was among those a little confused by the claim, as he said:

Fans online also picked up on the comments and were baffled by Marsch’s claim that he’d rather be Canada, knocked out of the World Cup, than Morocco, who have advanced into the quarter-finals. One supporter said: “Loser mentality, he’s a great fit for Canada.”

Another added: “Poor guy is in denial.” While a third wrote: “The same guy said ‘we were the better team’ what a joke.” And a fourth asked: “Loser talk quote of the year?”

A USMNT fan harshly said: ‘Thankful our federation selected Pochettino and not this clown.” While another wrote: “Thank goodness he doesn’t manage the USMNT.”

Someone called Marsch a ‘generational loser’, before a final fan summed up the reaction, asking: “He’s weird man. Why even say that?”

As co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Canada can be proud of their efforts. They came into the tournament having never won a game in the FIFA competition, but beat the likes of Qatar and South Africa as they made it all the way to the Last 16.

This was where Jesse Marsch’s men met Morocco, who proved too strong to overcome. Canada dominated the first half but couldn’t open the scoring, as their African opponents took control as the game wore on.

In the end, a brace from Azzedine Ounahi and a late effort from Soufiane Rahimi saw Morocco win the game 3-0. Manager Marsch insisted his team were the better side despite the loss, and things were certainly tighter than the final result suggests.

As Canada struggled in the second half, having conceded in the 50th minute but then not again until the 80th, many watching on wondered why Alphonso Davies was not used. A full explanation of his absence has now emerged.

Marsch Explains Why Alphonso Davies Did Not Play vs Morocco

Davies is very much the star man for Canada, having established himself as one of the best left-backs in the world during his time at Bayern Munich. Sadly, though, he entered the World Cup with a hamstring injury.

As such, the defender played in just one game out of five for his nation this summer, and that appearance came as a substitute. That outing, however, came in the Last 32 win over South Africa, with his lively 15-minute cameo suggesting he could be involved against Morocco.

This was not to be the case, though, as he was left on the bench as his team lost 3-0 and exited the World Cup. As quoted by BavarianFootballWorks, Marsch has since told Sportsnet why the Bayern star did not play:

Davies Was Working With Specialist

Piroschka Van De Wouw via Reuters

With his injury issues widely known throughout the tournament, Davies was working with independent specialist Matthias Blankenburg across the entire World Cup. As per The Athletic, this was agreed upon by the player, as well as Bayern Munich and Canada.

As such, it’s unclear whether or not manager Marsch made the final call on Davies being able to play or not, or if the decision was taken out of his hands. The Canada coach’s comments suggest some frustration around the inability to play the left-back vs Morocco, and it seems odd that they wouldn’t take a risk with so much on the line.

That said, if Davies simply wasn’t fit, there would be no point in playing him. It appears as though this was the case, with the defender’s injured hamstring ultimately ending his World Cup dream.

Liverpool could miss out on Bradley Barcola if Arsenal make a concrete move for the Paris Saint-Germain winger this summer, according to Daily Mail journalist Lewis Steele.

Barcola has emerged as Andoni Iraola’s top target as the club look to replace Mohamed Salah. The Frenchman’s club future has been thrown into doubt after Yan Diomande made a move to the Parc des Princes his priority.

Liverpool cooled interest in Diomande after learning of his preference and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Barcola is the Reds’ first-choice alternative. He’s enjoying a superb World Cup campaign with France following an impressive season with PSG.

Why Barcola might prefer Arsenal over Liverpool

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While Liverpool have placed Barcola at the top of their wishlist, they may face competition from Arsenal for his signature. The Frenchman has been on Mikel Arteta’s radar since the transfer window opened and the Gunners apparently hold an advantage.

Steele gave an update on Barcola’s situation and suggested that a move to the Emirates is more appealing. He told Anfield Index: “It’s going to be very, very hard for Liverpool to get Barcola. He’s probably looking at Arteta. He might want to live in the capital city of London. Liverpool aren’t as glamorous an option as they may have been 12 months ago.”

Barcola helped PSG win the Champions League for the second consecutive season and put in excellent displays throughout. He appeared 49 times across competitions for Luis Enrique’s Parisians, registering 13 goals and seven assists.

That said, the 23-year-old isn’t an undisputed starter given the star-studded attacking options at the French capital club. Should the Ligue 1 champions swoop for Diomande, it will likely be Barcola who makes way.

The issue Arsenal and Liverpool both face is that PSG are reportedly demanding £116m. He has two years left on his contract but the Parisians want a huge fee for their French winger.

Liverpool can still win Barcola race

via Reuters

Liverpool fans will undoubtedly feel that the club still has enough pull to entice the likes of Barcola to head to Anfield. While Diomande preferred a move to PSG, it came down to the chance to play under Enrique, whom he feels gives him a better chance of winning the dream Ballon d’Or.

There’s no certainty that Arsenal will move for the attacker, as they are also exploring other options, including Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz. The North Londoners are reportedly open to selling Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, paving the way for a new winger to arrive.

Iraola and his transfer chiefs need to quickly find out Barcola’s stance on a move before getting dragged into another lengthy transfer saga. He’d be a perfect addition to the squad and help deal with Salah’s exit.